Clare Crosby

Posts by Clare Crosby

On September 24, join people all across the planet calling for the world to move beyond fossil fuels. 350.org (started by our own Bill McKibben along with several Middlebury ’07 alums) has organized Moving Planet, a day “to put our demands for climate action into motion—marching, biking, skating—calling for the world to go beyond fossil fuels.”

A group of Middlebury students are chartering a bus to go to the Moving Planet event in Montpelier the afternoon of September 24 and invite faculty, staff, and anyone from the Middlebury community to join them. If you are interested in attending, please sign up here:

As part of our annual Green House Gas (GHG) Inventory, we conduct a survey of employees’ commuting habits. Please help us by taking less than 10 minutes to complete the survey found here http://middlebury.keysurvey2.com/survey/376201/fa46/. Your responses help us not only to account for our GHG emissions, but also to develop new ways to encourage alternative transportation and reduce our emissions, helping us toward our goal of carbon neutrality by 2016. Thank you for your time.

Middlebury is once again participating in the WaytoGo! Commuter Challenge. Last year we received an honorable mention for having over 5% of College employees participate. This year we’re aiming to beat that! Visit www.waytogovt.org to register to use a form of alternative transportation for one or more days the week of May 16th-20th. You can still register even if you already walk, bike, carpool, or take public transit to work on a regular basis. Don’t forget to select Middlebury College as your employer when you register and you will be entered in a drawing for gift certificates to the new student-run Crossroads Cafe! For more information on WaytoGo! read Nadine Barnicle’s press release for the Addison Independent below.

Middlebury, Vermont…For nearly a decade, a growing number of Vermonters have pledged to try a new way of commuting during the week-long Way to Go! Commuter Challenge being held this year May 16 – 20. The Way to Go! Commuter Challenge is an annual statewide event promoting economical, environmentally friendly, safe alternatives to driving solo. Businesses and individuals can sign up now at the new and improved Way to Go! website, www.waytogovt.org.

Last year the campaign was recognized nationally by the Federal Highway Administration’s Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives (EHEI). The EHEI recognizes outstanding examples of transportation projects that either create or improve conditions for human activities while protecting the natural environment. Way to Go! Commuter Challenge was 1 of 10 projects recognized.

For one week in 2010 more than 3,000 Vermonters pledged not to drive alone. Together those commuters eliminated more than 220,000 vehicle miles traveled, conserved 9,758 gallons of fuel, and saved nearly $30,000 in transportation-related expenses. Their efforts resulted in a net reduction of about 200,000 pounds (20 TONS!) of transportation-related pollutants.

Each year businesses and communities compete for awards based on the percentage of participation in Way to Go! Last year the National Bank of Middlebury took first place state-wide for medium-sized businesses and Middlebury College received an honorable mention. Individual participants are eligible for end of event raffle prizes, such as iPods, a Neuton® battery powered mower, Burton snowboards, overnight stays, restaurant gift certificates, yoga passes, spa treatments, bike tune-ups, golf and ski passes and more.

“With gas prices sky-rocketing, trying out a new way to commute that saves money is really important. To encourage people to try ACTR, fares on the buses will be 10 cents Monday through Thursday and we’ll have Fare-Free Friday. All fares collected that week will be donated to United Way of Addison County,” Nadine Canter Barnicle, Community Relations Manager for ACTR, said.

“We hope more businesses will sign up to encourage their employees to save money by carpooling, walking, biking and/or riding with ACTR. Last year our ridership jumped 16.5% during Way to Go! week.” All ACTR buses are equipped with bike racks and the Middlebury Shuttle Bus is a fare-free route year-round.